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Published January 1989 | public
Journal Article

In vivo functional localization of the human visual cortex using positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract

Positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are two recently developed methods for imaging the human brain in vivo. One application of PET measures stimulus-evoked changes in cerebral blood flow while MRI provides a detailed anatomical map of the brain. Here we report the combined application of these two techniques in the same human subject. Subtracted PET scans of a brain receiving visual stimulation were superimposed upon MRI images of the same brain. The PET scans were converted into the MRI coordinate space before superposition, which allowed for a more precise correlation between MRI anatomical data and PET physiological data. Responses were localized in striate and extrastriate visual areas as well as in the posterior thalamus.

Additional Information

© 1989 Published by Elsevier. We thank Marcus Raichle, Peter Fox, Fran Miezin, Joel Perlmutter and Tom Videen at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis for their time and effort in performing the PET scans, and for generously offering technical advice and assistance, David Van Essen of the California Institute of Technology for his interest in this project and for use of his computer laboratory, and William Bradley of the Huntington Medical Research Institutes for providing the MRI images. This work has been supported by grants from NIH, the Gordon Trust, the Sloan Foundation, and the McDonnell Center for Higher Brain Research. Part of the equipment used in this project was acquired through support from Office of Naval Research contract number N0014-85K-0068 to D. Van Essen.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 20, 2023